After several decades, the building of the Subotica National Theater was built, but without the large hall, which was the main reason for the renovation.
Staring from the balcony at the ruined large hall of the National Theatre, architect Mihajlo Mitrović, the president of the last jury for the renovation project of the Subotica theater in 1993, asked the then manager of the National Theater in Subotica Ljubiša Ristić: "Why did you give up this hall so lightly?"
Ristić convincingly explained how the scene is short in depth, low in height, and narrow in width; unsuitable for modern theatre. Before that, the people of Subotica were told everything else for years: the balcony and the gallery are prone to collapse, there are bad foundations, underground water, an unoriginal hall because the original one was destroyed in a fire...
Mitrović kept quiet about this.
After several years of construction, the grand opening of the reconstructed Subotica theater is announced.
But without a big hall.
In an interview for Politika, the chief designer of the new theater, Radivoje Dinulović, says: "The new part of the National Theater building is finished. But without the so-called concert hall, i.e. the old theater hall, we cannot say that the theater has been fully realized, because the entire concept of stage-theatre spaces is based on those three different environments that function as a very specific type of complex spatial structure. Without the restored old hall, whatever it was called, the works were only partially completed. Quantitatively - the largest It can be said that the building is finished from the outside, that a functional whole is defined and rounded, but in my opinion, the heart of that house is missing. Without the traditional civic theater that Subotica is used to and that we are all used to as a theater audience, the building is not completed the idea of a triple space, on a linear stage system which connects three different auditoriums, of which only one is permanent, unchanging shape, and that is the auditorium in the old hall".
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Generations of Subotica were already genetically disappointed that they did not demolish the old theater (from 1854) and build a new one. This desire appeared to them cyclically after wars, changes of states, five-year plans and other plans... They complained - everyone built new theaters, only we didn't, and they (the state) won't build it for us because we are on the border, and they grab everything for themselves - they don't give us anything (which was often true). Competitions and solutions were lined up - Deljin with Corinthian columns on all three sides, Hupkov with a Greek temple on top, and a theater with some kind of mast that will finally tower over the Town Hall and thus prove the supremacy of modern builders (and socialism as an architectural trend). Well, there was everything, except the project to preserve the existing building. The foundations are weak, the ceiling will collapse, and the stage is small... Just when it seemed that thanks to the stepmotherly attitude of the central authorities, the people of Subotica would achieve one of the greatest construction successes - to save the old theater from themselves - it came out of the blue: here is the money to build a new one.
When there is a lot of time, it is not enough. The people of Subotica did not know what kind of new theater they wanted. Along with the earlier design fantasies, there was only a seriously explained security project, according to which the main, front part of the theater with Corinthian columns, the old ballroom and a few other things should be preserved, and the rest with the existing hall should be demolished and a new wing built. Several smart people (reviewers) supported this solution (a book was published about it). However, there was no project for a new theater, and the old one already had to be demolished (a contract was signed: the Republic and the Province each 45 percent, and the City 10 percent, money, of course). It seems that the decades-long desire of the people of Subotica to build a new theater has now ignited their ambitions (or those who had ambitions) so much that they could not restrain themselves in designing its height and size. And they overdid it.
A key moment occurred when the theater was transferred from the construction area to the policy section. Well, then the real performing projects and performances began. And even imaginary moves of the theater to another place.
There were similar examples before, and with others. In Budapest, the Hungarians marked a change of government, among other things, by moving the national theater, which had already been largely started, from Deak Square to somewhere near Chapel. Now, on the foundations of the unsuspecting theater, there is some kind of disco-club, and the tram that rumbles just a few meters next to the new building regularly "plays" in the new theater.
It happened that the people of Subotica got money for the theater, even if it was virtual, at a time when one political group was in power in Subotica, and the building was completed when another political group took over. Originally, Zvonko Bogdan sang at the New Year's concerts, and then Baja Mali Knindž and Jelen Karleuš. So with all the troubles - money somewhere far away, an oversized project, the suddenly awakened awareness of security guards, with the assistance of various political improvisers and ignoramuses - the key question became: who will reap the political glory or the biggest blame for this biggest Subotica construction project after the City Hall (1912). First, it started with a lighter warm-up and gossiping. Those who predicted the demolition or at least could have prevented it in time came forward as the main defenders of the preservation of the old building.
Once upon a time, in a conversation about a new (dream) theater with set designer and architect Istvan Hupko, we came up with the idea that he, who is also a good painter, should draw the main city square without the theater and publish it on the front page of the magazine "Rukovet". Whether Hupko drew it beautifully, or we were both wrong in predicting the reaction of the citizens, only some immediately liked the idea. The lucid Vojislav Sekelj wrote in the fortnightly "Žig": "In Hupko's painting, the square is without a theater, which indicates that it (the square) is overloaded with excess, that it is crumpled. The town hall is obscured, as are the front facades of the corse, the view cannot breathe. Hupko ingeniously senses this excess of deficiency and hides (demolishes) the theater building. He is, in my opinion, right. Because, without a theater building in that place, Subotica gets a European square with a view of the 'Acropolis pediment' as a new symbol of the city".
And the city was divided: one was to build a new one up to the sky, another was to not touch anything, the third was to demolish everything and build the theater somewhere else. (God, the ghosts of old actors would appear from the asphalt in that place: Lujze Blaha, Jelka Asić, Lasla Patakjai, Pere Radovanović, critic Ivanka Rackov, and maybe the famous Dracula Bela Lugosi who started his career here, albeit not a vampire one).
The real burst of inspiration came after most of the theater building was demolished. The previously veiled facades of the beautiful palaces of Subotica were revealed, which delighted some, by God and the experts, so much that they proposed to completely demolish the theater and open a large city square where everything could be organized: horse races, football matches, cattle fairs, harvesters' competition, military maneuvers and much more. It was not mentioned, but it was just hanging around that the implementation of this project would be hindered by the City Hall and perhaps another block of buildings in the old center. The final solution was looming: the people of Subotica, from the corn on the edge of their ruined city, stare admiringly at the largest square in the world.
And so... when the whole country finally understood and accepted that Subotica needed a new theater after years and years of Subotica whining, the people of Subotica said they didn't need one. And how can someone else build you a theater when you won't build it yourself? Thus, the city finally successfully prevented itself from fulfilling its long-standing wish.
The people of Subotica are now punishing themselves, convincing themselves that they don't need a new theater, begging the Almighty to return the old one that they mostly didn't even go to or gossiped about like this one. There is no one to tell them how, when or if the theater on the main square will shine in its full glory, the halls will be filled with good actors and spectators, the cafes and clubs will be drunk with guests and unsuccessful actresses, theaters from the country and the world will arrive, the lights will flash, the music will crackle, the plush curtains will rustle, Sylvester Levay will show his Elizabeth i Rebecca - Subotica to find yourself again and finally start a new century.
In the newspaper "Danas" on October 31, 2011, Gojko Božović writes in his diary: "At the exhibition (Ace Simić), I particularly linger in front of one photograph of the center of Belgrade from the late XNUMXs. Sometimes things we know excite us greatly with their obviousness, as if we were seeing them for the first time. Namely, in that at first glance simple photograph, we can see the National Theater with its immediate surroundings. The building of the National Theater is incredibly dominant compared to the surrounding buildings that can be seen on Simić's photography, much more than today. And how dominant was it at the time when, according to Prince Mihail, the National Theater was built? Not only was it much greater than the actual needs of the city and the country. But this photo summarizes a historical reality in which one can clearly see that at that time there was someone who thought of the future and who knew that every time, if he did not want it to be a time of destruction, he has to store some behind him a legacy for the future. It will never be determined how many words this photo of Ace Simic says. But I am quite convinced that anyone who wants to make any decisions in this country today or tomorrow should spend at least ten minutes in front of this photo".
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What will happen? The construction of the new theater in Subotica began at one time, and will end at another and different time.
They used to build large churches for hundreds of years. They begin in Romanesque, and end after several centuries in the late Baroque. I guess that's why the architect Radivoje Dinulović didn't finish the project of the Subotica theater with precise drawings of the facades. Either he or someone else will do that when the time comes. And the Subotica theater is a temple, a temple of culture. Maybe one day, other people will finish it, in a style unknown to us today, some future viewers will enter its halls, and this time will be just a story of tourist guides. Maybe…
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I wrote a mini-drama for a prospectus of the "Desire" theater festival (pseudonym of the great Hungarian writer from Subotica, Deže Kostolanji):
Builder Janoš Škulteti (introductory presentation): Here, gentlemen, I will build a new theater in Subotica.
Citizens of Subotica (public discussion, excerpt): You cannot build a theater in a pond! (Footnote: the ground was very swampy).
Builder Janoš Škulteti (conclusions): When we build the theater, there will be no pond here.
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After several decades, the building of the Subotica National Theater was built (without the big hall, which was the main reason for the renovation).
The building is finished, or - it will be once. And the theater? Subotica was built on the star of seven roads in all directions. The theater is waiting for the same journey – to all sides and coming from all sides.
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